I’ll admit it: The thought of working and living in Moscow for almost six weeks conjured thoughts of being tossed back in time or dropped onto a set of “The Americans.” Gray and unfriendly. Barren food shelves and shadowy figures. The joy and passion of the World Cup doused by Russian gloom.
What were you thinking, FIFA? What was I thinking?
I was wrong. Moscow is the vibrant heart of this soccer celebration, welcoming tens of thousands of visitors – every last one, it seems, stroll the Red Square area as if it were an ocean boardwalk – and inviting outsiders to a world they’ve probably never seen. Languages mix like ingredients in a hearty bowl of borscht: Russian and English, German and French, Japanese and Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. The common bond: a love of football/soccer and a love of life.
Aside from who is going to win the World Cup, the question I receive the most from people back home is: What’s it really like in Russia?
I can’t speak about the other 10 host cities (though I will hit St. Petersburg later this week) or the country at large. I’m sure remote cities and rural areas are strikingly different and less prosperous. I’m not going to pretend to be a Russian expert after nine days in country. At times, I have had trouble reconciling the wonders of the city and the actions of the Putin government. Perhaps visitors to America also confront dueling feelings; I don’t know. What I do know is you can appreciate history and engage in a new culture while remaining cognizant of world affairs and concerned about injustice and cruelty. And so a new adventure has commenced. Moscow looks and feels like any major European city, except with Soviet-era relics: white- and blue-collar workers packing subway trains on a Monday morning, teenagers in western brands live-streaming an acoustic band performing on a pedestrian road, open-air cafes serving coffee and pastries.